ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International
  • News
    • A-L
      • ADAS
      • AI & Sensor Fusion
      • Business
      • Connectivity
      • Cybersecurity
      • Expo
      • HMI
      • Last-mile delivery
      • Legislation & Standards
      • Localization/GNSS
    • M-Z
      • Mapping
      • Off-Highway
      • Robo-Taxis
      • Sensors
      • Shared Mobility
      • Safety
      • Simulation
      • Testing
      • Trucks
      • V2X
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    • January 2025
    • September 2024
    • April 2024
    • January 2024
    • Subscribe
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Events
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
  • Automotive Interiors
  • Automotive Testing
  • Automotive Powertrain
  • Professional Motorsport
  • Tire Technology
  • Media Pack
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International
  • News
      • ADAS
      • AI & Sensor Fusion
      • Business
      • Connectivity
      • Cybersecurity
      • Expo
      • HMI
      • Last-mile delivery
      • Legislation & Standards
      • Localization/GNSS
      • Mapping
      • Off-Highway
      • Robo-Taxis
      • Sensors
      • Shared Mobility
      • Safety
      • Simulation
      • Testing
      • Trucks
      • V2X
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    1. April 2025
    2. January 2025
    3. September 2024
    4. April 2024
    5. January 2024
    6. Subscribe
    Featured
    April 15, 2025

    In this Issue – April 2025

    Online Magazines By Web Team
    Recent

    In this Issue – April 2025

    April 15, 2025

    In this Issue – January 2025

    November 29, 2024

    In this Issue – September 2024

    July 23, 2024
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Events
  • Awards
    • About
    • Shortlist
    • Judges
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International
Off-Highway

SafeAI and Obayashi demo autonomous off-highway dump truck on Japanese construction site

Anthony JamesBy Anthony JamesJuly 22, 20223 Mins Read
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Santa Clara, California-based SafeAI, which supplies autonomous solutions for off-highway, heavy equipment, in partnership with Obayashi Corporation, a leader in the Japanese construction industry, recently hosted nearly 150 visitors to view its retrofitted autonomous Caterpillar 725, operating on a construction site in Japan for the first time ever.

The demos, which took place over a two-week period, brought together delegates from nearly 50 organizations across the construction industry ecosystem, including leading OEMs, general contractors, technology companies, universities and research groups, and Japanese government entities responsible for regulation. In addition to winning buy-in from key stakeholders, the demos mark a critical first step toward securing approval from the government and industry organizations to bring autonomous construction to Japan.

Prior to the public demo, SafeAI and Obayashi spent six weeks extensively testing in a Japanese environment to confirm all the features previously developed in the US-based proof of concept (POC), which was completed in California in November 2021.

Japanese regulations were not originally designed to support the use of autonomous vehicles for off-road construction. Yet, this technology is poised to unlock smarter, safer, more sustainable and productive construction sites. Self-driving assets enable companies to add thousands of hours of productivity annually, completing major projects 20% faster and at 25% lower cost – empowering the industry to overcome chronic deadline, budget and safety issues.

“At SafeAI, we’re committed to making heavy industry safer and more productive for companies around the world. In partnership with Obayashi, and through the joint demonstration of an autonomous construction vehicle in Japan, we are making major strides toward achieving that goal,” said Bibhrajit Halder, the founder and CEO of SafeAI. “From here, we are focused on securing autonomous vehicle buy-in from the government/industry organizations and executing a ramp-up plan for the construction industry that starts in Japan and expands globally from there.”

Following the successful completion of groundbreaking demos, SafeAI will continue to work with the government and industry consortium groups to review findings and evaluate regulatory changes around autonomous construction.

“We firmly believe the future of the construction industry is dependent on off-road autonomy and we’re committed to bringing this technology to Japan, where it will have a massive impact on safety, sustainability and productivity by partnering with SafeAI,” said Obayashi’s Shinya Sugiura. “The Japanese construction market poses a great opportunity for autonomous technology and the recent demos that were conducted in Japan not only confirm the functionality of the system we built, but have showcased the global viability and impact of autonomous construction projects.”

SafeAI’s autonomous solution is powered by industry-specific AI technology and utilizes onboard processing power to enable real-time decision making. From using the latest multimodal sensors (lidar, radar, camera) to detect surroundings, to perception-based localization with GNSS, SafeAI leverages the most advanced technologies on the market to bring more effective, efficient and scalable autonomy to heavy industry. Additionally, the company uses a retrofit model to empower companies to upgrade existing equipment, regardless of manufacturer or vehicle type, instead of limiting companies to purchasing new, manufacturer-built autonomous vehicles, which are costly and more difficult to scale.

Interested in autonomous off-highway developments? Check out the autonomous track at the iVT Expo conference in Chicago, August 31 and September 1, 2022. You can also read our feature on autonomous developments in heavy industry in the November 2021 issue of Autonomous Vehicle International. 

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleTÜV Süd reveals how it is using simulation to determine criticality in autonomous vehicle safety
Next Article INTERVIEW: Dr Anurag Ganguli, VP of R&D, Plus

Related Posts

Off-Highway

Nippon Steel and Tier IV collaborate to automate heavy-duty steel transporters

April 14, 20251 Min Read
Off-Highway

Fusion Processing collaborates with Construct Invest on automated buses for airports

April 10, 20252 Mins Read
Off-Highway

Aurrigo International debuts Auto-Cargo autonomous airside vehicle

April 3, 20253 Mins Read
Latest News

Elektrobit and Metoak partner on SDV safety ecosystem development

May 12, 2025

Hyundai Motor and Plus unveil autonomous hydrogen freight ecosystem concept

May 12, 2025

EXPO NEWS: Opens next week!

May 12, 2025
FREE WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER

Receive breaking stories and features in your inbox each week, for free


Enter your email address:


Our Social Channels
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Getting in Touch
  • Free Weekly E-Newsletters
  • Meet the Editors
  • Contact Us
  • Media Pack
RELATED UKI TOPICS
  • Automotive Interiors
  • Automotive Testing
  • Automotive Powertrain
  • Professional Motorsport
  • Tire Technology
  • Media Pack
© 2025 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Notice & Takedown Policy
  • Site FAQs

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

Performance

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

SAVE & ACCEPT